pom's Blog

The rapid gas price increases have pushed many to use every gas savings tip they can find, including gas cards. Gas cards have been around for a while but it is only recently that its use have spread like an epidemic. Why? Because gas cards offer rebates on gas purchases. There are many types of cards available and one of them is the BP Gas Card.

The BP Gas Cards comes in the form of BP Consumer Gas Cards and Gift Cards. It is currently one of the top gas cards available because of its features. If you don't have a gas card yet and is considering getting one, then get the BP Gas Card. Here are the top five reasons why you need one in your wallet.

1. Highest Rebate
BP gas cards offer the highest available rebate in the gas card market. It offers a 5% rebate on all gas purchases at any BP stations. Every time you pump gas at any BP station, you earn 5% rebates in the form of rewards points that can be accumulated and converted to cash back. Once you accumulate $25 rewards points, you can can easily redeem your rewards by requesting a check payable to your name or through a gift card.

2. Introductory Rate
The BP gas card offers introductory rates, a double rebate for the first sixty days or twelve months. Their regular rebate is at 5%, so you're looking at an introductory rate of 10%. You actually double you savings in the first two or twelve months that you use your card. And if you use your rebates for gas purchases, you earn even bigger savings.

3. No rebate caps
Unlike other gas cards, the BP Gas Cards don't have rebate caps. This means unlimited gas rebates and savings. Why go for cards that limit your savings when there's unlimited rebates with BP Gas Cards?

4. No annual fee
Holding a BP gas card won't cost you anything. BS Gas Cards has no annual fee and this means that no fees will eat out your savings. In choosing gas cards, be wary of fees that can easily undermine your savings. With BP Gas Cards, you are sure of getting your savings in full.

5. Rebate on other purchases
The BP Gas Cards works just like an ordinary credit card, you can also use them to pay for non-gas purchases and the good thing is you can earn rebates on them too. They offer a 4% rebate on eligible travel and dining expenses and 2% on all other purchases. If you are worried on having too many credit cards on your wallet, you can go ahead and ditch your other credit cards for BP gas cards.

There are many gas cards out there. Some even offer other perks such as airline tickets and gift certificates but if you really want to save on gas money, then you should go for cash back rewards. Luckily, there are BP Gas Cards that offer the highest unlimited cash back rebates.

Shell, the leading petroleum company, has designed its products and services almost to perfection to ensure satisfaction from its loyal customers. As an oil firm that sees to it that every patron gets his money’s worth, it has offered through the years a very valuable proposition to all its valued customers. One prominent offer that Shell makes to their market consumers, something that gives them an edge over their rivals, is its vaunted Shell Cards. These cards take in the form of Shell Credit Cards, Shell Gas Cards and Shell Gift Cards.

But the question that plays in the mind of every gasoline consumer out there, which means you and me, is: what are the benefits that can be achieved from using such cards. A serious patron would ask for concrete answers to this question. These cards are designed to accommodate every specific need of a loyal Shell patron. This card can offer him the value of his money and at the same time manage his cash and eventually save him gas money in the end. Below are the top five reasons why you should have a shell card on your wallet.

1. Wide spread of shell gas stations

On top of everything else, a shell card is a must-have since it can be used on over 14, 000 stations across America. Being the leader of the pack in terms of providing car fuel to every American, Shell can be found almost at every strategic place in the country. A shell card holder will have easy access to shell products and services.

2. Gas rebates

The second top advantage of holding a Shell Card is the gas rebate. For every gas purchase, Shell cards offer a 5% rebate-currently the highest percentage rebate on the gas card market. Rebates or rewards points are automatically redeemed in the form of checks. After the card holder purchased the hundredth gallon, he is automatically granted a $25 gift check. For this aspect alone, every Shell patron should carefully think of having his own Shell Card to give more value to his gas money.

3. Easy balance tracking

Since these Shell Cards are designed to put convenience at the hands of every card holder, any purchase amount done at the station is automatically deducted from the card. The remaining card balance information is shown on the sales receipt. And if somehow somewhere a card holder lost count of his card balance, this can easily be remedied by dialing their customer service number which is written at the back of the card itself. This definitely spells convenience, no mo trips to the bank! A shell card definitely offers a fast and hassle-free process, an advantage for busy bees or those who are always on the go.

4. Pay at the pump

Shell gas cards offer the convenience of paying at the pump. Your Shell cards can easily be swiped at the pump, its paying at arms length-literally! This gives you less hassle in pumping gas and paying for it.

5. Varied services offered

Having a Shell Card gives one a ticket or an easy access to every product and automotive services offered by the company. Shell services vary from change oils, checking tire air pressure levels to wheel alignments. One only has to present the shell card and your car is on its way to pampering.

Do you have a nagging balance on one of your credit cards? Did you know you can pay it off, and save hundreds of dollars at the same time? A balance transfer credit card will help you do just that. This type of card lets you bring over an existing balance or loan and pay it off at a lower interest rate. Here’s how to get the most out of a balance transfer credit card.

Transfer the Balance

Before applying for a balance transfer card, you’ll want to check out your options. First look at the fees involved, as these may vary from card to card. Many companies charge a certain amount to bring over an existing balance. The usual rate is around 3 percent of the total amount, and some cards include a cap of $50 or $75. In most cases, the money you save in interest will outweigh the cost of transferring.

Also compare the interest rates. Balance transfer cards usually come with a 0% APR period. This means that you will have a certain time, usually between six and twelve months, during which you will not be charged any interest. You can use this time to pay off the balance.

Get the Most from it

Once you’ve found the best balance transfer card to apply for, it’s time to pay off the debt. Ideally, you will want to pay it off within the initial zero percent interest timeframe. Say you transfer a balance of $2,400 and you have twelve months of 0% APR. All you need to do is put $200 toward the debt each month for twelve months. Pay that amount at the beginning of each month, or every time you receive a paycheck.

Think about it: if you pay off the $2,400 balance on the card within a year, you will save hundreds of dollars. If your previous card charged 18% APR, and you carried the balance for a year, you would have to pay $432 in interest! That is a significant savings.

If it becomes difficult to pay $200 each month, reduce the amount you pay to $150. Then keep paying that amount until the entire balance is paid off.

Use the Card

Many experts recommend paying off credit card debt before using a new card. This rule of thumb applies to balance transfer credit cards too. Some cards are set up so that if you make new purchases, the amount you pay each month will first be applied to those, and then to the transferred balance. This can make it hard to pay off the balance in its entirety. To avoid problems, don’t use your new credit card right away. Put it in a drawer until you have paid off the balance.

Once the debt is paid off, you can begin using the card. Many balance transfer cards come with additional perks such as rewards programs or cash back options. So when you start shopping with the card, you will receive even more benefits. Try to pay off the amount on the card each month to avoid interest charges and late fees.

A balance transfer credit card can help straighten out your finances. Apply online for one today and you’ll notice the difference right away. Soon you’ll be debt-free, thanks to your credit card.

Student credit card is of great help in countries such as the US, UK and Canada, where parents have to spend enough money on the educational needs of their children. These credit cards come as an instant help to reduce their financial burden and to meet the academic requirements of teens. This card proves useful for people who do not have the available finance for educating their kids.

Teens need not bother any more for paying off the expenses related to their education and personal lives. These credit cards are designed to tackle the finance-related queries of teens. Many credit card companies offer these types of cards along with some incentives and that too with low interest rates.

A Few Considerations:

It is good for teens to look for a credit lending company, which either issues such credit cards with low interest rate or does not charge any interest. This gives you a good start initially and over time, you develop personal interest in these credit cards and accept them as future companions to address your financial queries. There are many credit lending institutions, which lend money on affordable interest rates with long repayment duration.

Teens, as beginners may opt for such credit cards, through which funds are available at less than 19 percent rates. For teens who take a personal loan, the rate of interest is below 6 percent. However, for this opportunity, you have to meet the eligibility criteria. Campus sources such as universities, departments and student unions offer the hardship and scholarship rewards to successful students, who meet all the criterions for these cards.

How to use?

Below are some tips for teens for taking best care of the student credit card:

1. You need to plan the budget first. You may control the expenses through this and overcome any bad credit in your name. Plan the budget with the help of a credit card statement by listing your expenses per week and month on items such as food, bus fare, books and payment of bills. This gives you a fair idea of the overall expenses. Accordingly, you may prioritize your needs.

2. You may use such credit card for making major purchases. Make use of the card toward purchasing items such as books and furniture. There are many credit cards for students designed for the college goers that charge too much interest. Hence, check with the terms of credit for avoiding credit card debts.

3. Avoid misuse of a student credit card. Plan the budget well by restricting the expenses that occur in a week or a month as you decide. Do not forget to pay balances or bills on time.

Word Of Caution:

You need to avoid the overuse of the student credit card. Avoid Internet shopping such as buying useless or funky items. Teens have to take care of their credit cards to avoid potential overuse of the same and to maintain a nominal credit balance in their accounts. If you don't feel you can handle a credit card yet, it's probably best you wait a few years until you feel financially responsible.

Credit card issuers like it when you know as little as possible about credit cards. Often, they only disclose what is legally required, and even then, they go to some lengths to ensure that you don’t read anything that will make you think twice.

So how can you avoid falling into the trap of bad debt? You can start by avoiding the most common mistakes that other credit card users make:

1. Not reading the small print

Credit card companies might tell you that the reason Terms and Conditions are printed in such small text is that they don’t want to bore you with the details. But as you may know; that is where they hide the true cost of whatever you’re signing up to.

As the consumer, it is your duty to check everything and make sure there aren’t any traps that you could easily trigger. If the text on the form is too small for you to read, visit the company’s website; in many cases the information is provided in full details.

2. Misunderstanding introductory offers

It’s very easy to fall for an attractive headline; marketers are paid to make them as attractive as possible. In paying too much attention to the positives of a credit card offer, most people ignore the details (mistake one above)
where the negatives are usually kept.

For example; if an offer says 6 month interest free balance transfer, look out for transfer fee and the interest rate after the interest free period comes to an end.

Also usually included in the small print are conditions such as; if you miss a single payment, the remainder of the
offer will be withdrawn.

3. Making just the minimum payment

One of the advantages of credit cards is that servicing the debt is easy; you only have to pay a minimum percentage of the balance every month (e.g. 3%).

Paying just the required minimum will cost you a lot more; credit card interest is calculated by the day; for everyday that you have a balance on the credit card, you’re paying interest on every penny.

4. Having too many credit cards

It is widely believed that having multiple credit cards can help your credit rating. That might be true depending on how much balance you maintain on them. The downside is that it will make it harder to get new credit; lenders would wonder whether you have too much debt already and might be incapable of paying it back. The other downside is that it increases the risk of getting deeper into debt.

5. Assuming that every decision is final

Have you ever made a late payment and got charged for it? Some credit card companies can forgive you for a late payment if it is your first late payment in a 12 month period; all you have to do is phone them with a logical explanation as to why your payment was late. It helps if you have a good credit rating; they want to keep you.

Negotiation skills can also get you better rates on your credit card; if you have an offer that’s about to come to an end, or happen to see a good deal offered by another credit card provider, phone your credit card provider and inform them that you’re considering switching to another provider because of an offer you saw. You’d be surprised to know that in most cases they’re willing to match that offer or at least lower your rate a little bit to keep you put.

Note: this only works if you have a good credit rating.